This Oct. 14, 2016, photo shows some of the food from a Thanksgiving dinner from Martha & Marley Spoon in New York. (AP Photo/Bree Fowler)

(WWLP) – Thanksgiving Day is a traditional American holiday celebrating family, togetherness, and gratitude for the things that we have. It is one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the country, and as a result, nearly all non-emergency government services are unavailable, and most private employers give their workers the day off. Massachusetts has particularly strict “Blue Laws” that prohibit most store openings on Thanksgiving night, which have become commonplace in most states in recent years. The laws in neighboring Connecticut and New Hampshire are less strict, and many big-box and mall stores will be opening early there for Black Friday.